Residents slam Govt for slothfulness in dealing with BBP floods

As the water continues to recede slowly in affected areas in Black Bush Polder, the Government has taken no additional measures to assist residents and farmers that are presently suffering as a result of the flooding.
On May 19, a little over two hours of continuous rainfall left Johanna and Yakusari inundated.
However, close to two weeks later, the water remains on land at Yakusari, thus threatening the lives of both residents and their crops. They are concerned with the health hazards that can emanate from the flood waters and are calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter.
From the inception of the flash floods, residents and regional officials had blamed the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) claiming that the Yakusari Main Drainage Canal, which also drains Johanna, has not been cleaned for the year.
The NDIA has the responsibility for the canal. In addition to the heavy overgrowth in the canal, the outfall channel is also blocked and worst of all, there is limited access at the sluice. It was reported that one day prior to the flooding, the channel was silted.
According to residents, the NDIA also failed to award the cleaning of the mouth of the sluice and the cleaning of the outfall channel to a competent contractor.
The residents went on to say that the one excavator that is being used is having more downtime rather than working to alleviate the flooding.
In addition to that, the only firm with a dredge capable of clearing the outfall channels along the Corentyne is the Associated Construction Service but for some reason, they have not been considered for the job.
Under the coalition Government, the three canals which drain the Black Bush Polder, Adventure, Eversham and Joppa at Number 43 Village now fall under the NDIA and not the Regional Administration.
However, members of the health centre have been visiting homes and providing information to persons in the affected areas, advising children not to play in the water and persons not to use the pipe water to drink. However, the Health Department is monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, as the flood continues in its second week, health issues are rising and farmers continue to count their losses as their appeals for assistance seem to be falling on deaf ears. Only recently, two persons were suspected to have symptoms associated with leptospirosis.
Attempts to contact the subject Minister on the matter proved futile.